Hot-well preheater and condenser for locomotives



Oct. 10, 1933. E. F. SULLIVAN HOT WELL PREHEATER AND CONDENSER FORLOCOMOTIVES Filed March 9. 1932 IN VEA/Tol?.

Edward I'Jullivalz. @Y J@ @W7 Patented oci. 1o, i933 lincasso Hor-WELLPREHEATER AND connaissait For. Locotiofrlvss Edward F. Suliivan, SouthPortland, Maine Application March 9,1932. Serial No. 597,859

3 Clainfis.L

The invention hereinafter to be described relates, in general terms, toapparatus by means of which a large percentage ofthe heat units con- .led in the condensate water, together with a ocnsideraoie quantity ofexhaust steam disn charged through the condensate pipe extendingrearwardly from the main water-heating unit,

a locomotive may be advantageously utilized i `-water pre-heatingpurposes. Y l

. rticnlar object of present invention is edite the heating of theboiler feed water d e-.wn on in feeding the boiler, from tanti supply,so that the pre-heating n ay be conducted in a comparativelytemperature.

To acc inplish the above mentioned object I l provide what I designateas a hot-well-an ened tank-like structure, the capacity of which ot-welielement may be secured in any ent location with respect to the larger-eitiier beneath or at the bottom and on e inside of the latter, and inthis smaller concon .ensate, or water of condensation, together withmore or less exhaust steam as it flows fromA the main feed-water heatertoward the supply tank.

There is always'open communication maintained between the hot-well andthe main storage thereby insuring a full and constant supply of water inthe smaller of the two water-holding elements; feed-water, however, isdrawn directly from the smaller one only.

Furthermore, in the operation of my apparatus I am enabled to condenseand convert into usable feed-water a comparatively large part of thefree exhaust steam which passes with the water of Ycondensation throughthe condensate pipe, and this, so far as I am aware, has never before)een accomplished.

The character of the invention may best be 4nderstood by reference tothe description found V`Le following specification when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which disclosed anembodiment which, at ther presen time I consider preferable to otherpossible forms in which the invention might be carried drawing;- 1Fig. 1is a fragmentary view, in side elevation,

of water which can be rapidly raisedv (Cl. 12E- 434) identify like partsin all the different views of the drawing. y Referring to the dra Brepresents the lw1 boiler of a locomotive, T the tank containing themain supply of feed-water, and II a tubular exhaust steain heater of anyof the various and well known types.

The pipe l is the eleinentthrough which is conveyed from the heate;` Hthe product of partial condensation. of the exhaunt steam entering theheater from the power units, the main driving engines, air pump andStoker engine, this product f comprising condensate;-eihaust steamcondensed inthe heater, as weli also a certain quantity of theuncondensed steam which passes along with the water of condensationtoward the tank supply.

Continuing rearwardly, the pipe 1 has direct communication with thevertically disposed pipe 2 which extends upwardly through the-bottomofthe tank and through the water W therein, and

bending, descends into the hot-well S and joins one end of the pipe coilli. From the opposite end of this coil rises the pipe Sextendingupwardly abovel the highest normal level of the Water W. The endterminates, preferably, in a half-turn 5a.

The bottom Tc of the tank T is perforated by one or more holes 6 throughwhich water from the main tank iiows by gravity to maintain a fullsupply in the hot-well 3, and the feed suction line 'Y to the pump Pmakes connection with the bottom of the hot-well at 8. f

'Io provide against clogging of the feed check Valves by any foreignmatter entering the main 'tank I supply a screen or strainer 9 whicheffectively operates to keep the feed lines clear of obstruction. l v lOn the condensate pipe line l is an automatically operatingsuction-breaking cock 10 which yprovides against drawing condensatewater back into the main heater when the main driveengines throttleisclose l and the locomotive drifting or coasting with the valve gear setin reverse.

A manually operated drain `cock 11 with extension handle 12 to actuateit supplies the means to the hot-well to the bottom of the tender v vtheheater forces the water drain the condensate line of water during coldweather when the locomotive is exposed to the elements during aconsiderable period oi inaction. The drain cock may be operated from thecab o the locomotive, into which the handle 12 extends.

Fig. 3 illustrates a slight modification from the structure shown inFig. 1. En this instance the tender tank and hot-well being separated bythe spacers i3, a distance S, the cooler tem eerature o the tank waterdoes not act so directly to lower ,he hotwell temperature as was the inthe previously described construction in which the contents these twomembers were separated bythe tank bottom To only. It is thus possible tomaintain a higher temperature of hotwell water. A further dierencebetween the two constructions resides in the manner of he connectionbetween the pipe line land the coil the 'pipe 2, in this case, beingdispensed with and the condensate line connected directly on to one oi?the coil 4, the pipe 5, however, being similar in the two designs.

nopera feed-water drawn directly from the het well by the reed-pump P'through the pipe line "l, as it is withdrawn from ti e hotwell it israced by more water from the l. Supply ani "il, the water fallinggravity through the openings 6. `En the co-.rse of operating thelocomotive portion of the exhaust steam from the power units conde-risesin the inain heaterH and i v4is, together with more or less of'ti euncondense steam under considerable pressure passes out or" the heaterthroi the condensate pipe l. The pressure in theekhaust chamber ofuneondcnsed through the pipe 2 nto the coil 1 -or as in the modiiiedforni, directly into the coil, where two actions, rel -vely ditering ineiect occur.

1n the irst place the water in the hot-well becoines raised intemperature by absorbing the heat radiated from the coil containing thehot conde sate and steam, and as a sequence the sec `ond actiondevelops, in which the steam having obviously, heat more rapidly andsupply the feed pump with a higher temperature 'feed water than would bethe case in which the saine coil was place* the larger, main tank T; so,for very apparent reasons, a higher efficiency is possible in theoperation of the heater than would otherwise obtain. The result issomewhat analogous to that obtained with an automatic gas heater forwater in which the water is heated only as'it is boing drawn from thetank, in contrast to a tempting toV heat the whole body of water andinaintain a high degree oi temperature constantly therein.

1n Fig. 4 an alternative arrangement respecting the location of thehot-well is shown. In this case this element is positioned on the topside or" the tank bottom, and is thus submerged in the water of the mainsupply container. This is objectionable for the reason that it isimpossible to heat the water in the hot-well to so high a tern* peratureas-would obtain was the latter somewhat isolated from the vmain tank. Itoffers this advantage, however, in that possible interference with therunning gear oi the tender or other obstructions beneath the main tankis avoided.

Construction as illustrated in Figs. l and 3 is preferred on account ofthe tact that in either of these instances the hot-well may be easilycovered with insulation I, thereby making it possible to greatlyincrease the eillciency of the pre-heater.

The apparatus, it is believed, is calculated to effect' a considerablesaving in the operation of locomotives as heat ordina ily wasted is inthis case conserved and put to a useful purpose and more or less o theexhaust steam, which, in the conventional method of operating feed-waterheaters is considered o lno particular account, is condensed and alsomade an asset by materially adding to the supply of water carried on thelocomotive. Y

lil/'hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

.1.. A hot-well preheater and condenser for locomotives having a mainwater-supply tank and a main ieed-water heater, comprising a relativelysmall tank disposed beneath .said main water- 1 supply tank, a pipe coilin said sinall tank through which not condensate water and exhaust steamfrom the main ieed-water heater of said locomotive travels on its courseto the said main supply tank, a ldischarge pipe from said coil rising 1through thevwater said main supply tank and terminating at an` elevationabove the highest normal level of the water in said supply tank, a pipethrough which feed-water may be discharged from said small tank, andmeans of communica 1 tion between the interiors of said small tank andsaid main water-supply tank.

2. A 'not-well preheater and condenser for locomotives comprising incom. ination with the V`main water-supply tank and the feed-waterheaterior 1 saidloconictive, a relatively capacity tank located beneaththe main supply tank, a pipe coil in said smaller tank, ineans to admitwater oi condensation and exhaust steam from said feed-water heatertosaid coil, a pipe connection 1 adapted to adr/lit water gravity fromthe said main supply to the saidsinaller tank, a discharge opening Vinsaid smaller tank through which water which' said coil is submerged maybe fed to the eedewater line of said locomotive, l and means to Yconductdischarge the water of condensation in said coil to said main supplytank at an elevation above the high norrnal level of the water therein.

3. ,A hot-well preheater and condenser for loco- 1 motives comprising incombination with the niain feed-water heater and the mainfeed-water-supply tank therefor, a vsrnall tank located beneath and inspaced relation to said main supply tank, a condensate pipe lineconnected to said main 1 `feed-water heater, a pipe coil positioned insaid sine-ll tank and connected to said condensate pipe line, meansto-adinit water by gravity from-the said main water supply tank.' to thesaid smaller tank, a pipe extending from the exit en d of said 1 coilinto said supply tank, and means for conveying water in said smallertank to the feedwater pump of said locomotive.

EDWARD F. SULLVAN. 1

